Seattle education blogger Melissa Westbrook noticed something today. The education section of the Washington State Democrats draft 2014 platform is curiously different from past versions:

There is no mention of ELL students, class size, full inclusion of all students, counselors/nurses/librarians, career training, music and fine arts, foreign language, civics, parent engagement, or a stable funding source for public schools.

In fact, the Education section is one of the shorter sections in the platform.

Omitted is past opposition to:
public funding for charters and vouchers
commercial exploitation of students
linking military recruitment to educational funding
organized prayer in schools
No Child Left Behind
basing teacher pay solely on student test scores
all "so-called reforms that are not based upon sound and objective information, that are disguised attempts to blame teachers for the problems in public education, to weaken teachers unions, or to privatize our public education system for profit
escalation of tuition at institutions of higher education

Comparing the education sections of the new platform to the old one is like night and day: the 2012 version is lengthy and specific about what it is for and against, including the laundry list of terribleness above, whereas the new one is brief and vague.

I left a voicemail with the party's office inquiring as to why this is earlier today, but haven't heard back. The 2014 draft platform is open to public comment until tomorrow.